The grandfather of grandfathers: that is the ñaupa.
The ñaupa is the oldest ancient.
The ancestor.
The most ancient ancestor.
Ñaupa means the one that was, but
also means the one that will be.
Of the past and of the future.
The past. The future.
The one that is ahead, like a dream,
the one that is going to be.
Ñaupa is oneself and the others.
We are Ñaupa.
Alfredo Mires
For at least 2000 years, a character has been constantly reproduced in Cajamarcan ceramics. The callanas or pieces scattered in the huacas or sanctuaries in the mountains bear witness to this presence.
The character wears a smile -sometimes with teeth, sometimes without-, has an oval head and has different proportions and shapes: with hair -upward or downward- or without it; with short or long ears or without them; with dot, circle or double circle eyes; with scrolls or tufts or without them.
In the Andean world there is no individual, the isolated person: the word suq that names the one is the same that refers to the other. One is another. Perhaps this explains another characteristic of the character: he usually has a similar one inside himself, as if he were his inner self or his centre. This is ratified in the fact that when he is not with his arms up, he is also intertwined with others.
But the character is not only in ceramics. In the rock art -the most remote manifestation of the culture- they are also present, which would demonstrate their continuity. In the cliffs of the Apu Yamalán -whose marks could be no less than eight thousand years old- we have found a similar image, of great size, painted in red.
Alfredo Mires
in: El Ñaupa
Dear readers,
in the last few months, after the death of Alfredo Mires, we have noticed the improper use of his books, texts, images and recreations. As an association and as a family we hold the copyright of these publications and we are trying to protect them in different ways. Sharing this text -the introduction of "El Ñaupa"- is one of these ways.
Thank you for disseminating, for sharing, for learning and for helping us to protect the intellectual and artistic heritage of Alfredo, as well as of the community members who participated in the production of the books of the Network.
When we hear the word "assembly", the memory of a long, tedious and tiring meeting may come to our mind, like those we often had at our children's school... or have, still.
Fortunately, in the Rural Libraries Network, this concept is totally different, since it is a "government" and decision-making body, with representatives of the communities where the libraries are located.
We begin each Assembly asking for permission and the blessing of our land, of the Apus and of our deceased. We entrust them with the success of our activities and the care of our families who stay at home. We look for different ways to review the history of our Network and the values that a volunteer should show, because from time to time it is necessary to remember our beginnings and our raison d'être. We also read together and evaluate how we are doing in the exercise of reading to understand what we read, to give our opinion and to discern.
We participate in the book exchange party. We enjoy together the moments of meals, we laugh with each occurrence and memory. We pray remembering those who have already gone and left us all this legacy, especially our dear Alfredo, we ask him to continue guiding us along the path he showed us years ago.
We take a moment to review the tasks that have been done and the tasks that are still pending. We look together for the solution to some difficulties that we committed ourselves to solve in the time that we see each other, before we return to our communities.
The days pass quickly and it is time to say goodbye. We all return to our homes and communities, with new books and the task of insisting on reading, "because we are stubborn", as Alfredo used to say.
This is what a General Assembly in the Rural Libraries Network is like.
This year, we are already preparing for what is to come because in April we will have our first Assembly.
In a house there lived
a widow and her little children
and God only knows how
the poor little ones suffered.
One day a little old man arrived
all broken and hungry
"Maybe I would have for my hunger
A little of your food"
"I have nothing," she said to him
"although there is one chicken left:
I'll prepare it for you now
and I will do all I can."
The old man gratefully
told her that when preparing it
not to throw away the feathers
but to go and bury them.
After eating, he said
in a farewell tone
"God will help you, my daughter,
for being so compassionate."
The next day in large numbers
the roosters awoke:
the feathers that had been buried
in birds they were converted.
In the morning, I tell you
lots of roosters sang:
the feathers that had been buried
in birds they were transformed.
From then on the family
no longer went hungry:
I'm sure it was God
who walked in those times.
Alfredo Mires
"Resuellos"
Original in Spanish:
One morning, I don't remember if it was sunny or rainy, I was about to attend a visit of which I had been notified the night before. It was a teacher from the School of Librarianship, who was very interested in learning about the children's room and the activities to promote reading. They told me: "tell them the usual speech, don't worry". But that visit was not at all the usual, because I would remember it for a long time.
I received then, not one, but two very enthusiastic women, who, knowing the room, did not mind sitting in the uncomfortable baby library. They introduced themselves with a smile and a joyful expression in their eyes, which filled me with pride and satisfaction for the work I do. So I began the conversation, commenting on the activities that took place, but as I spoke, Rita accompanied each word with excitement, amazement and enthusiasm, her love for library work was evident.
The questions abounded, they wanted to know more about each activity, showing an unusual interest, so the explanations were deeper to solve all the concerns, since we did not have many opportunities to repeat the visit. That's when, in the middle of the exchange of knowledge, they asked me, "Are you willing to explain everything again, to the librarians of the Network?" to which I replied, "Yes, of course I am."
I was delighted to talk about what I like.
Nathalia and Rita, whom from that day on I would call "my friends from Peru", had caught my attention, not only for being kind, nice and smiling, but for that commitment that was noticeable with their work in libraries, that interest in sharing and learning about promoting reading in children; interest that I share with them. So we exchanged phone numbers and I saw them off two hours later; time flies when one talks with friends.
A special connection was created: we were exchanging greetings for some time, but one Sunday afternoon I formally received the request to do the training promised in that visit. I said to myself: "It is time for me to prepare something more structured and complete", because it would be for the rural libraries' managers and they sent me a link so that I could know to whom the presentation was addressed. I confess, I was happy, but afraid that I would not be what they expected. My librarian friends saw my presentation and encouraged me, so I gained confidence and prepared everything for that day, but it was not as I imagined.
The connection, not from the internet, but between me and the audience, at the beginning was timid. For a change, I talked up to my elbows, I laughed because of my nerves and I felt my heart jump out of my mouth after the silence on the other side. But at the beginning of the questioning session, I understood that everything delivered had reached its recipients, that the knowledge had been received with more pleasure than expected. A deep respect was forged in me that night for the work done day by day by those in charge of the libraries in every corner of Cajamarca. Their work is not only to guard a collection of books, but to impart the love for their roots, their customs and that their mission is not only to be librarians; they want to preserve all this, not only in books, but also in the hearts of those who live there, so that they can be replicators in the world of the culture of their region.
Now in my heart there is a space reserved for the Rural Libraries Network of Cajamarca, Peru, who earned my love and admiration with their interest in learning about the promotion of reading, to apply it in their community and make future generations feel proud of what they are and what they do in rural communities.
I can only say THANK YOU for making me part of your work, and I hope we can share more knowledge in the future.
Your friend from Medellín,
Leidy Yohana Vélez Santa.
Professional in Information Sciences, Documentation, Librarianship and Archival Science.
Every two years we receive the visit of the members of the Board of Directors of Heart Links Canada - caring people, but first and foremost friends interested in the ways and walks of the Network.
This year four friends from Heart Links had come. With them we went on 12th November to the Rural Library in Shaullo Chico, at the foot of the apu Qayaqpuma. There the friends of the APU Cultural Association had gathered early in the morning to teach the children of the community how to prepare the traditional buns, dolls and decorations made with bread dough, typical in Cajamarca in the month of November.
In the afternoon we gathered at the local library. Rumi Mires delighted us with a story by the Brothers Grimm, one of those half-long and complicated ones, The Frog King or Iron Henry.
The children surprised us with their extraordinary capacity to understand this complicated text, with their good memory and their ability to retell the same story in their own words. Then we set about making our little jumping toads in origami; some of them managed to jump with great agility into the pit of stones and a cloth that we had "built" on the floor of the library.
To end this beautiful afternoon, the children shared with us their buns in a "joijona".
Thanks to all who made this beautiful activity possible.
Contumazá: the land of intellectuals and good wheat.
One can read this upon entering this district capital, so beautiful, so quiet, so traditional. Here, people still greet, treat the stranger with kindness, and the houses, for the most part, have the charm of yesteryear.
We went to Contumazá on 16th November, the day of the Here We Are, to commemorate the capture of the Inca Atahualpa in what is now the Plaza de Armas of Cajamarca...and all that came after. We went to participate in a reading meeting organized by our brother and coordinator Ramiro Yglesias.
When we arrived at the meeting place, we found many students with their teachers, each one with a book of ours in hand, taken from the different Rural Libraries in Educational Institutions (BRIE) that we have in the area. After a brief introduction we were offered a moment to talk about Rural Libraries and then the event began. All morning the students delighted us with stories, parts of essays, texts from different books of ours, poems, their own creations and also some songs about books and reading. It was a real party.
After a delicious lunch we sat down again to evaluate this reading meeting. The students' request was very clear: we want more events like this. So we left with the promise to continue organizing other reading encounters in the coming years. A very beautiful commitment.
Thank you, Contumazá.
